


Can't Forget You

by obs3ss1ons



Category: Station 19 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Developing Relationship, F/M, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-18 11:44:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18120140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obs3ss1ons/pseuds/obs3ss1ons
Summary: Vic and Ripley are in the aid car when it wrecks during a storm. They take shelter in an abandoned cabin and use body heat to keep warm. Things get awkward.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [madnephelite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/madnephelite/gifts).



> This starts during the time Ripley was interim captain before Sullivan came. I tried to follow the show's timeline with a few changes and extensions of the scenes.
> 
> Thanks, @madnephelite for the prompt!

He should’ve grounded SFD hours ago, before the storm got so bad. Wind practically bent trees in half. So much rain had fallen that areas were flooding that had never flooded before. The lightning was why he waited to stop service. It was dangerous, and there was a lot of it. Fires were popping up all over the city and surrounding areas.

Which led to both trucks from Station 19 being out when the call came in for an injured person on the hiking trails. Lucas had Hughes and Gibson gather everything they might need for a mountain rescue and stash it in the aid car. With one look outside, though, he made a last minute decision to leave the Lieutenant at the station. Lucas drove to the call.

They should’ve been close to where the call came from, but neither Lucas nor Hughes could see anyone. The rain and lack of a moon or stars made it difficult to see more than a few feet in front of the car. Lucas was glad he made the decision to not let one of his firefighters make the drive. He’d rather risk his own life.

“Chief, watch out!” Hughes shouted at the same time the road disappeared down the mountain. Lucas braked hard, but the tires had no traction on the watery road. They both braced themselves as the rig slid right over the edge.

Thankfully the aid car stayed upright as the mud carried it several yards down from where the road had once been. Then it just stopped. Everything stopped. Lucas looked over at Hughes. “You okay?”

She nodded. “Where are we?”

He squinted out the muddied windshield. All he could see was mud and tree debris. “I honestly have no idea. We’re far enough from the road that nobody will find us, though.”

“We have to get out, don’t we?” Hughes asked.

Lucas nodded. “We need to get back to the road and find shelter until this storm passes.”

“It’s not supposed to end for another two or three hours!”

“Guess we’re stuck with each other, then,” he replied. Hughes actually groaned and leaned her head on her window. Lucas laughed. “I know you don’t like me very much.”

“I never said that,” she interjected.

He continued, “But I’m the only chance you have of surviving this storm.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Hughes mumbled.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he told her. She just stared at him blankly. Lucas added, “You’re my only chance of survival, too.”

Her eyes widened for a split second before she turned away. Minutes passed before she looked at him again. “So how do we get out of here and not swept further down?”

Lucas glanced toward the back where all of the extra equipment was stashed. “Well, we can use some of that to get us back up. We’ll probably have to break a window to get out.”

Hughes didn’t look too thrilled, but she didn’t argue like he expected her to. Maybe she didn’t always argue with her superiors. Or maybe she actually agreed with him. Whatever the reason, he was relieved she didn’t waste any time.

They crawled to the back and searched through the equipment. He found some rope, but they wouldn’t be able to anchor it to anything stable. Hughes saw it and suggested, “We could tie ourselves together so one of us doesn’t get lost in the mud.”

“Good idea.” They kept searching and formulating a plan. Lucas was mildly surprised to find that Hughes seemed to be good at coming up with tactics quickly. That would help her career a lot – maybe even earn her fast promotions.

Before long they had a plan and were ready to execute it. They tied each end of the rope around their waists and split what they were taking between them. Lucas held up an anchor and asked, “You ready?”

She nodded and tugged on the rope. They crawled back into the front. Lucas used the anchor to smash the windshield. Mud immediately covered the floor in at least six inches. They exchanged surprised looks. Then he pushed himself onto the dash and climbed onto the hood.

He turned and grasped both of Hughes' wrists, pulling her out with ease. She looked over the edge and commented, “I so wish I had my boots right now.”

“Me, too,” he agreed. They carefully and slowly lowered themselves down, sinking into the mud. Lucas said, “We’re definitely going to get a workout. Let me know if you need to stop.”

She never did. They worked their way up the mountain, using their equipment and the mud to help propel themselves upwards. It was difficult and tiring. They were both soaked and caked in mud within minutes. But finally Lucas reached a point where he could touch what was left of the road.

He hauled himself onto the flat surface. Hughes popped up right beside him. They sat there, catching their breath. Lucas stared down to where the aid car rested against a large boulder. The mudslide had carried on for another twenty feet or more.

A whimper next to him caught his attention. He focused on Hughes and noticed she was shivering. Her hair let droplets of rain continuously drip down the collar of her shirt. She was soaked from head to toe. Her hands grasped the opposite arms, but clearly she was so exhausted she couldn’t even rub them.

He forced himself to stand. “Come on. We need to find a shelter and get you warm.”

All she did was nod and shiver some more. Lucas lifted her to her feet and made her walk a few steps. She stumbled a bit but could make it as long as he kept the pace slow and steady. Being on the road and not needing to climb would help out as well.

They walked what felt like miles before Hughes grabbed his arm. “Is that what I think it is?”

Lucas looked to where she pointed. Just off the road stood what looked like a small hunting cabin. He smiled at her, and they found the energy to make it to the front door. No cars were parked out front. When Lucas knocked, the door opened. He glanced inside. “It’s empty. Completely empty.”

“Must be abandoned, then,” Hughes commented.

“Maybe. But it’s dry,” he informed her. They went inside. Four cabinets, a small counter, and a sink lined one wall. A large wood burning stove took up a big chunk of space. Blankets were stacked in one corner. But there was no furniture.

“Do you think the stove is safe?” Hughes asked.

Lucas walked toward it. “I’ll check it out. Why don’t you get out of your wet clothes and wrap yourself in one of those blankets?”

Hughes didn’t say anything, but he sensed her walk away. He made sure to keep his back turned to her and focused on the stove. There was still wood inside, and a box of matches sat beside it. He got a fire going just as Hughes announced, “I’m decent. Switch me places so you can get dry, too.”

He turned and froze for a second. She’d let her hair out, but it was a frizzy mess around her face. A blanket was wrapped firmly around her, but her shoulders were bare. Wait, that meant –

Lucas jerked his gaze away. He went to the stack of blankets and picked one up. Again he kept his back to her as he stripped off his uniform and replaced it with the blanket. He spread his clothes out beside hers, ignoring the fact that he could see exactly what she had taken off. And that he knew what was left beneath her blanket dress.

He settled beside her in front of the stove and instantly noticed she was still shivering. On instinct, he moved closer and wrapped an arm around her. She gave him a curious look. “My body heat will help warm you up faster.”

“As long as you’re not trying to see down this fashionable but very old and thin new dress,” she quipped.

Rather than get angry about her accusation, Lucas laughed. “I promise not to do anything inappropriate or unwanted.”

“Damn. There goes that fantasy.”

Lucas swore there must be mud in his ears. He couldn’t have heard her right. “What?”

She smiled at him. “I’m joking. Sort of.”

“Are you hitting on me, Hughes?”

“What else am I supposed to do for entertainment? This isn’t exactly a five star hotel we’re staying in,” she pointed out.

He swallowed hard. She had to know what her words were doing to him. He was a man, after all. And she was a beautiful woman. One who apparently wasn’t the least bit intimidated by him being the top rank of the fire department she worked for. He shook his head in disbelief.

Hughes mumbled, “Nothing like being rejected when you’re the only one available.”

“Will you stop already!” Lucas shouted, removing his arm from around her shoulders and shifting away from her.

She lowered her head. “Sorry. I tend to do this when I’m in an uncomfortable situation.”

“You hit on your boss?”

“Well, no,” she replied. “I ramble. Without a filter. I just say whatever pops into my head.”

“So, you really think all of that? Everything you just said,” he asked.

Hughes shrugged. “Well, you are sitting beside me half naked in a cabin with no one else around.”

A groan escaped before he could stop it. Hughes laughed. He glared at her. “You think this is funny?”

“The situation or your reaction to me?”

“Dammit, Hughes!” he growled. “You are not helping any.”

“I didn’t even try.”

Lucas stared at her. She smiled innocently back at him. He noticed the blanket had slipped down just a bit. Enough for him to remember that every article of clothing she’d worn that day was spread out on the floor. His eyes focused on her lips. Her tongue darted out one side and crossed to the other, leaving a sheen behind.

“Don’t regret this,” he murmured before crashing his mouth against hers. His hand cradled the back of her head while he waited for her to respond. Either push him away or kiss him back. She hesitated only a second before parting her lips. The tip of her tongue glided along his lips, and he opened them, accepting her in.

Her hands grasped the sides of his head, her fingers sliding into his hair. He angled her head with one hand while sliding the other down her back. Nothing resisted the downward movement. Not that he expected it. But knowing for sure spurned his body on. He brought his hand up to place over hers, pulling away just enough to see her eyes.

“Please tell me you want this.”

“I thought I made that clear,” she replied. Lucas pressed his lips to hers once more. He leaned toward her until she shifted her legs around. With one hand braced on the floor, he gently laid them down. She parted her legs as much as the blanket let her. He settled between them, not letting her take his full weight.

He let his other hand explore her body, caressing her through the rough fabric. She still responded to his touch, arching her back when he cupped one of her breasts. He kneaded the soft flesh, encouraged by the small sounds she made. Her own hands explored his back, pushing his blanket down as she went.

When she reached his ass and discovered he, too, had taken all layers off, she tore her mouth from his. She stared up into his eyes, letting her lust show. Lucas waited for her to make the next move. At the back of his mind, he still knew what they were doing was wrong. He just couldn’t seem to stop it from happening.

She moved her hands back up and around to rest on his chest. Lucas held himself firm, wondering if she had come to her senses. Hoping she hadn’t. But she just grabbed her own blanket where it was tucked into itself and unrolled it. He forced his gaze to stay locked on hers. She held his gaze as her hand lifted his, slid the blanket from between their chests, and placed his hand where it had been. This time he touched bare skin.

That was all the consent he needed. He let himself look at his own hand, holding her breast. He caressed it again, earning another low moan from her. Inspired and wanting more, he lowered his mouth to her other breast. She gasped as he sucked on the nipple. Her hands held his head to her chest. Her hips lifted, pressing against his. He moaned against her skin and flexed his own hips.

The hand that held her breast moved downward, under the blanket that still separated them. Her legs parted further, and the blanket fell off her thigh. Lucas slid his hand between her thighs, unsurprised to find her wet. A finger dipped inside. She lifted her hips again.

As he continued to stroke her with his tongue and hand, she moved one of her hands between them. He hissed when he felt her hand wrap around him. She stroked slowly, which seemed to encourage his body even more. He turned his hand and stopped hers. His voice was rough when he managed to whisper, “Too much.”

Their eyes met again. She replied, “Give me more.”

He placed both hands on either side of her head, poised above her. A niggling concern flashed through his mind. “We have no protection.”

She caressed the muscle of his arm as she said, “I’ve got that covered. We’re good.”

“We shouldn’t risk it.”

“I swear to God, Ripley,” she told him in a more serious tone than he’d ever heard from her. “If you stop now, I will throw you out that door.”

He kind of believed her. “It’s still raining. And I’m naked.”

The look she gave him wasn’t quite a glare, but close. “I don’t care. I’m too close for you to not finish what you started.”

“What I started?” he couldn’t help but say. “You hit on me as soon as we got in here.”

“You kissed me.”

“Are you seriously picking a fight with me right now?”

“What can I say? I’m a passionate person.”

“That you are,” Lucas murmured before thrusting all the way inside her. She cried out and dug her fingers into his arms. He slid out and back in again, quickly setting a frantic pace. They were both close. It wasn’t going to take much for either of them.

Feeling his body tightening up, Lucas slipped his hand between them again. He pressed down on the one spot he knew would get a reaction. It worked. Her hips thrust upward. Her fingers tried to tear his biceps in two. She screamed and gasped at the same time. And then he followed her right over the cliff.


	2. Chapter 2

Before she even opened her eyes, Vic knew she wasn’t at home. She wasn’t in a bed. And she wasn’t alone. She peeked open her eyes, squinting against the sun pouring in a nearby window. Movement caught her attention, and she looked toward the sound. Ripley stood next to a door. He had on his uniform pants, which were covered in mud, and what had been a white undershirt.

He seemed to notice her watching him and offered a weak smile. “Morning. Our clothes are dry but stiff with the mud. If you move around some, it might shake some of it off.”

His words reminded Vic that she had no clothes on. Only a thin blanket stopped her from showing her body to the Fire Chief. But then, that hadn’t mattered last night. The memory of what they’d done made her entire face heat up. She self consciously tucked the blanket more firmly around herself.

Ripley’s gaze darted away from her. “I’ll just, uh, wait outside.”

He disappeared through the door. Vic scrambled over to where her clothes were stacked. She tried to dress in a hurry, but the stiff clothes didn’t cooperate. And she was exhausted by the time she finally pulled her shoes on. She folded the blankets, ignoring the obvious white stain on the one she’d been lying on. It wasn’t a dream. That blanket proved it. Vic had slept with the Fire Chief.

She kept her head lowered when she finally forced herself to emerge from the cabin. Ripley stood several feet away, his back to her. Vic walked up to him and handed him the uniform top that would never be white again. “You left this inside.”

He took it from her without looking at her. “Thank you.”

“So, uh, what do we do now?”

“We find some help. My phone is useless thanks to the mud bath we had last night. It’s too dangerous to go back to the aid car to use the radio,” he explained.

Vic wrapped her arms around herself. “Do you think the team is looking for us?”

Ripley met her gaze then. “Probably. Gibson knows where we were headed. Once they find the mudslide, they’ll start search and rescue.”

“Shouldn’t we go back there, then? They won’t know where to look.”

“Good idea,” he replied after a long moment. “The storm is gone, and the sun will keep us warm. Let’s go.”

They headed back towards the road. Vic was glad she wouldn’t have to climb any. The road was fairly flat given it followed the side of a mountain. She didn’t think she could make it very far if they couldn’t follow it. Her entire body hurt. Her legs felt like they weighed more than her turnout gear.

Ripley kept a slow pace. Despite being tired and sore, Vic wished he would speed up. It was awkward between them. They didn’t speak or look at each other. She could only imagine what it would be like once the team rescued them. Or when they got back to the station. Or on the next shift. Or the shifts following that for who knew how long.

Vic groaned. Ripley stopped walking and looked at her. “You okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“No,” she replied.

After a pause, he asked, “No to which question?”

Vic met his eyes. “How are you so calm?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because we just had sex. And now we have to go back like it never happened. While working together every damn shift,” she explained, her voice straining with the emotions running through her. 

Ripley stared off into the distance. He was quiet for several minutes. Vic realized he wasn’t going to answer her, so she started walking again. But then she heard him say, “I’m sorry.”

She stopped and faced him. “For what?”

“For letting things go so far,” he told her. “I should’ve stopped it before I ever kissed you. I know it doesn’t change anything, but I’m sorry.”

“So you regret it,” Vic stated. “After telling me not to and kissing me. You regret it. Great. That makes me feel so much better.”

“Hughes, wait,” he called out as she started walking yet again.

She didn’t turn around but threw over her shoulder, “Don’t worry, Chief. I won’t tell anyone what we did. Just forget it ever happened.”

Ripley didn’t say anything. Vic didn’t wait to find out if he followed her. He could just disappear for all she cared. Clearly he didn’t care about her. She felt so stupid. She never should’ve let her mouth run away like that. She shouldn’t have teased him, flirted with him. She pushed him too far, and now she had to face the consequences.

Her anger helped Vic walk faster. She reached the scene of the mudslide sooner than she expected. And the sight that greeted her brought tears to her eyes. The two trucks from 19 were parked on the other side, their lights flashing. Andy, Dean, and Maya stood at the edge, looking down. Vic yelled, “Over here!”

Andy looked up first. She shifted her weight and shielded her eyes. Then she called back, “Vic? Is that you?”

“And the Chief!” Vic responded. Even if he didn’t follow her, they couldn’t exactly leave him stranded. Even if she really wanted to.

Andy hollered down the embankment, “Jack! We found Vic! She’s up here!”

“The Chief?” Jack yelled back.

Ripley answered from directly behind Vic, “I’m here, too!”

“Coming back up!” Jack responded. Vic watched Jack and Warren climb back up. It didn’t take them nearly as long, but then they weren’t covered in mud and drenched. Plus they had the sunlight to help them see.

Once they were back on the road, everyone moved to where the road cut off. Jack asked, “Are either of you hurt?”

Vic shook her head. “No injuries. Just a little muddy and stiff.”

Ripley coughed behind her. Vic realized what she’d said and rolled her eyes. Typical man. One that she wasn’t too happy with. She focused on her teammates and tried to ignore Ripley. At least he was nice enough to keep a couple feet between them.

Andy shouting brought Vic back to the present. “We’re going to come get you. Rocks and debris are still coming down. The ground isn’t stable.”

Vic hollered back that she understood. She watched Andy switch with Warren and harness up. Then she and Jack began making their way across to them. There were a few times one of them slipped or stumbled. They stayed close to each other and helped each other out when they needed it.

After what seemed like an eternity, both lieutenants reached Vic and Ripley. Vic wrapped her arms around Andy. “I know I’m getting you dirty, but I am so damn happy to see you.”

“Were you out in it all night?” Jack asked.

Vic glanced toward Ripley, hoping her face wouldn’t give them away. He shook his head and answered, “We found an abandoned cabin about half a mile up. We waited out the storm there.”

Andy raised an eyebrow in Vic’s direction. Vic ignored it. She kept her head down as she strapped into the harness with Andy. Ripley did the same with Jack. Then Jack asked, “Everybody ready?”

“You know, you should’ve sent someone else over. All three ranking members of the team are about to cross an area that could take us with it,” Ripley pointed out.

Vic didn’t stop herself from responding, “Can’t you just be happy we’re being rescued?”

Andy and Jack exchanged glances. Thankfully Ripley stayed silent. Sure, Vic shouldn’t have said that to him, but she didn’t care. She was mad, tired, and really needed a shower. He could reprimand her later if he felt like it.

The four of them worked together to get back across. At one point, Vic’s foot sunk into the mud. She almost took Andy down with her, but Jack caught them. Vic tried not to flinch when Ripley grabbed her arm to help pull her back up. She didn’t miss the flash of emotion in his eyes when she jerked her arm away from him. She just refused to put a name to it.

Even though she was more mud than human, every member of her team hugged her as soon as they were safe. She clung to Andy and Maya, allowing them to help her to the ladder truck and into the back seat. As soon as they were pointed down the mountain, Andy asked, “So what was it like being cooped up with Ripley?”

“Can we not talk about it?” Vic responded, hoping they would think she was just tired and drop the subject.

“Was it that bad?” Maya inquired. “I mean, sure he’s the Chief, but at least he’s fun to look at.”

Vic closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. Images from the night before played out before her eyes. Her eyelids snapped open. “All I want to think about is getting home and taking a shower. I don’t want to think about Ripley until I have to.”

Neither of her friends said anything else. In fact, the entire ride to the station was quiet. And as soon as the truck was parked, Vic headed for her locker. She grabbed clean clothes and went straight to the showers. It took over twenty minutes to get all of the mud washed out of her hair. She scrubbed her face and body three times before she actually felt clean.  
When she shut the water off, she heard another shower running. Shift ended in less than an hour, so everyone could go home to their own showers. Why would anyone else-?

The second shower shut off. Vic hurriedly wrapped her towel around herself and gathered her things. She almost made it to the door when she heard a curtain move. Ripley’s voice said, “It feels good to be clean again, doesn’t it?”

She froze. Instead of letting him see her embarrassment, Vic spoke over her shoulder. “Uh, yeah, I guess.”

Before he could say anything else or she said something stupid, Vic opened the door and left. She dressed in her civilian clothes and brushed out her hair. A glance at the clock showed thirty minutes remained of shift. Knowing her teammates thought she was either still in the shower or taking a nap, Vic sat on her bunk.

Did she want to wait until everyone else was gone to leave herself? Or did she want to use her friends as a buffer so that Ripley couldn’t try to talk to her about what happened? She was trying to decide which worked for her more when the door slowly opened. And guess who appeared behind it…

“What are you doing in here?” Vic asked.

Ripley shut the door but didn’t move toward her. “We need to talk.”

“About what?”

“You know what about.”

She shrugged. “We were exhausted and filled with adrenalin. We both got caught up in the moment and made some mistakes.”

The emotions in his eyes changed so fast Vic wasn’t sure what he was feeling. But he landed on anger. It showed in his voice when he asked, “Is that really how you feel?”

“You know me. I have no filter,” she repeated what she’d said in the cabin.

He stared at her for several seconds before finally saying, “So there will be no issues here, then.”

“Nope.”

“Okay, good.” He rubbed his chin. “It would be best if you don’t tell anyone.”

Vic blurted, “Don’t worry. I’ll stay your dirty little secret.”

“That’s not-"

“Isn’t it?” she cut him off.

Ripley turned away from her. Vic waited. He turned back around and inquired, “Are we going to be able to work together?”

“Do we have a choice?”

“Well, yes. One of us could transfer out until I find a new captain.”

“You mean me.”

To his credit, he looked contrite. “There is a reason I took over this station.”

“Because you don’t trust Jack and Andy. Who, by the way, saved your life this morning,” Vic pointed out.

Ripley sighed. “Please don’t bring that up again. I’ve made my decision.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s the right one.”

“You really don’t have a filter, do you?”

“It’s one of my quirks.”

“A troublesome one,” Ripley commented. His eyes went a shade darker. Vic looked away. Ripley cleared his throat and grasped the door handle. “Go home and get some rest, Hughes.”

“You should do the same, Chief,” Vic replied. He nodded once and disappeared. Vic fell back onto her bunk and let out a long sigh. Either she had to get control of her thoughts and feelings toward Ripley, or she would be sent to a different station for who knows how long. She really didn’t like those options.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've made some progress on this out of control story, so I thought I'd gift you with more Vicley angst.

Lucas needed to find a captain for Station 19. He needed to get himself out of there. Every shift wore him out just from trying not to react to Hughes. She seemed to have forgotten all about what happened in the cabin. She joked around with her teammates, even around him. She treated him with the distant respect the Fire Chief deserved. Lucas should’ve been happy she at least gave him that. But he wasn’t.

Whenever he looked at her, he remembered what her body felt like beneath his hands. She spoke, and he thought of the sounds she made when he did something she liked. He was in a constant state of misery the entire time he spent on shift. If it wouldn’t look suspicious to the others, he would lock himself in the office unless out on a call.

And that was another issue. Hughes treated him exactly like the rest of her team did when on scene. She did what he told her when he told her. No arguing. No questioning. No yelling. Lucas hated to admit that he missed her unfiltered banter. It had caught his attention long before they were trapped in that cabin. If he let himself be honest, he started feeling something for Hughes during her peer interview. The way she stood up for her friends. The way she didn’t hesitate to tell him her true thoughts on why that call was so chaotic.

It was like she didn’t stop to think about who she was talking to. Not very many people talked to him like that. At least not in several years. It seemed even people not in the department were intimidated by him since he became the Fire Chief. Friends had either drifted away or just stopped coming around. His love life was practically nonexistent. A few dates here and there, but nothing serious since his second divorce was finalized. Two failed marriages in less than five years was more than enough proof that he wasn’t the marrying type.

So he focused on his career. He rose through the ranks as fast as the department would allow. It wasn’t luck that got him the title of youngest Fire Chief the SFD had ever had. It was hard work, dedication, and a minimal personal life. A lifestyle which he had chosen to have. Yet now that he’d reached the top, Lucas had to wonder what he had left to achieve.

The alarm went off for a structure fire. Lucas pushed all thoughts to the back of his mind as he raced out of the office. He met the rest of the team in the bay area, and they all scrambled into their gear and onto the trucks and aid car. Thankfully the new car had arrived the week before so they could have full service again. Having his top station on reduced services had made a noticeable dent in the department.

He rode with Bishop and Herrera, who always seemed to keep themselves reigned in when he was around. He knew from observing them at scenes that they were close and could figure out issues without help. But in the truck, silence filled the time. Thankfully the scene wasn’t too far away, so his mind didn’t have time to conjure up thoughts of their third musketeer.

Once on scene, Lucas sent Miller to the hydrant. Bishop and Warren were assigned to get the hoses. Everyone else he sent to scout the outside. The building was an abandoned factory and warehouse. It hadn’t been used since before Lucas became a Battalion Chief. But still, he knew a lot of people were attracted to empty buildings. Someone or something had started the fire.

The hoses were ready to go within seconds. But Lucas eyed the area around the building. He radioed, “I need hoses on both sides. Keep the surrounding area safe, but let the building go. It’s too far gone to be salvageable.”

“Chief!” Hughes came back over the radio as soon as he stopped talking. “I have visual inside. I can’t make it out, but something is in the middle of this back room. We might have people inside.”

“Dammit,” Lucas let out. He surveyed the flames as he asked, “How close are the flames?”

“At the door, Sir,” Herrera answered. Lucas heard Hughes yelling just as the radio cut off.

“Do not attempt rescue. I repeat, do not attempt rescue,” he ordered. “This place is old and unstable. There’s no time to get in and out safely.”

Hughes came back with, “What if it’s a person? What if they’re alive?”

Lucas closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. He hated making calls like this. “Nobody is to go into that building. If it is a person, we will perform recovery once the fire is out. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Sir,” Hughes responded. Her voice sounded defeated. Lucas didn’t like that. He didn’t like possibly leaving a victim in a burning building either. But given the circumstances, he had to make the call to keep his firefighters safe. Just like he had to do at the skyscraper. When Hughes had nearly broke him.

He still had flashbacks to that night, wondering if he made the right decisions. If he could’ve sent more people in to get 19 out. After the fire jumped floors, the building became unstable. He couldn’t risk sending people in and having the whole thing collapse on them. But Hughes hadn’t seen it that way. She only saw it as him abandoning her team. What she hadn’t known then and still didn’t know was that he felt the same way about himself.

A loud crash jolted Lucas back to the current scene. Sparks and flames shot high from one end. Gibson called through, “Roof collapse on the east end. The structure is a complete loss.”

“Copy that,” Lucas replied. “Keep it contained.”

They managed to keep the fire from spreading. Once the entire building collapsed, Lucas ordered them to start dousing the flames. The entire thing was out less than three hours after they arrived. The old material burned fast. Lucas was glad he hadn’t sent anyone inside. They wouldn’t have made it back out alive.

The look Hughes sent his way when the team rejoined told him that yet again she didn’t agree with his call. He let out an audible sigh. This time he had no plans to let her attack him. At least not with witnesses. He kept everyone busy until they were ready to leave.

The fire inspector showed up while they were rolling hoses. “Chief, I’m not used to you being at a scene before me.”

Lucas shook his hand. “I’m interim captain at 19. We caught this call.”

“Still can’t let go of the rush, can you?”

“Probably never will,” Lucas replied. He gestured toward the rubble. “Let’s go see what we’ve got.”

He walked over the rubble with the Inspector, Markus, pointing out various hot spots that could’ve been the point of ignition. They reached the area Hughes thought she’d seen a person, and Lucas explained what she had reported. He and Markus dug through until the Inspector called out, “I found something. It’s not a body, though.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Lucas commented. Then he saw what his colleague held. It was a bag somehow still intact. That didn’t surprise him given how strange fires could be. What did surprise him was the contents that should have fueled the fire. “Well, damn.”

“There’s two more under here. The bags must be fire resistant,” Markus observed.

Lucas scratched the side of his face. “That must be what Hughes saw. Three bags lined up might very well look like a body through a smoky, dirt covered window.”

“You can let your team go, Chief. No recovery needed,” Markus told him. Lucas nodded. He shook the man’s hand again.

“They’re my ride. I trust you can handle things with the police,” Lucas said.

“Sure can. Go enjoy not being Chief some more.”

Lucas chuckled and began making his way back out of the rubble. He motioned for the crew of 19 to wrap it up. This time as soon as they were in the truck, Herrera asked, “I’m assuming it wasn’t a body since we’re being released?”

“No. No body,” Lucas replied in a clipped tone. He couldn’t share the details of what had been discovered. Of course Herrera’s police officer boyfriend would probably fill her in. But the information was not going to come from Lucas. At least not to them.

Back at the station, Lucas barely had time to call out, “Hughes, come to the office once you’re cleaned up.”

She actually glared at him as she hurried inside. Not wanting a confrontation, Lucas pretended not to see it. He got himself cleaned up and went into the office. Hughes wasn’t there yet, so he started on the scene report while he waited. He was halfway finished by the time he heard a hesitant knock on the doorway.

Looking up, Lucas’s heart clenched. Hughes looked vulnerable. Scared. Her voice sounded weak when she said, “You wanted to see me, Chief?”

“Come on in. Shut the door behind you,” he told her, forcing a smile to help settle her nerves. She shut the door and sat in a chair across from him. Lucas leaned back in his own chair, hoping if he looked relaxed then she would, too.

She chewed on her lip and refused to meet his gaze. He was caught up in watching her when she said, “I’m sorry about earlier. The arguing. It, uh, won’t happen again.”

Lucas sat forward. “Is that why you think you’re in here? Because you argued with me about a call?”

Their gazes met. “You did tell me the next time I came after you, I’d be gone.”

“You are not being fired, Hughes. Not even reprimanded. You had a valid point,” Lucas stated. Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened. He held up a hand and added, “We both did.”

“I don’t understand.”

He explained, “You thought you saw a victim in a burning building. It’s trained into us to want to save everyone.”

“Then why did you not let us go in?” she asked, some of her anger reappearing.

“Because that building has been empty for nearly ten years. It was closed down because it failed three separate fire inspections. I had knowledge of that, which led to me not wanting to risk lives to try to save a possible victim. If I had let you go in, we might very well have had to recover your body,” Lucas informed her. He had to stop after the image his last statement brought to his mind.

Hughes visibly deflated. But she didn’t look vulnerable this time. He let her process everything he’d just told her, letting himself watch her while she did. She shifted in her chair, her gaze lowered to the floor. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with curiosity. “If it wasn’t a person I saw, then what was it?”

Lucas sighed. He stared into her eyes as he said, “What I tell you stays in this office.”

“Oh, great. Another secret.”

So she did still remember that night. And she hadn’t told anyone. Lucas cleared his throat and his mind before continuing, “The Fire Inspector and I found three fireproof bags in the area where you had visual. They were filled with cash, and not one-dollar bills.”

Hughes gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Why would someone leave that much money in a building like that?”

“My guess is that someone was using the place as a stash house.”

“But nobody was there. We would’ve found bodies.”

“I agree. It’s up to SPD to figure out who left it. We’re also investigating how the fire started,” he told her.  
She shook her head slowly. “That’s a lot of money to just leave lying around. And then to have the building burn down.”

Lucas leaned back again. Finally they were having a casual, friendly conversation. “I don’t think it was purely by accident. The bags didn’t burn, so somebody planned for it.”

“Damn,” she let slip and then blushed.

The corners of his mouth lifted before he could stop it. “I’m sorry I made you go against your instincts today. But do you see now why I made that call?”

“Yeah, I guess I do,” she replied. “I’m just glad it wasn’t actually a person.”

“Me, too,” he responded gently. She offered him a small smile. Relief washed over him. At least they made it over this hurdle. Ignoring him was hard enough. But Lucas couldn’t stand the idea of Hughes being angry with him more than a few minutes.

She sat forward and said, “Thank you for telling me about what you and the Inspector found.”

Lucas nodded once and genuinely smiled. “You’re welcome. Just remember that this conversation has to stay private. I shouldn’t have told you, so I don’t need the whole station talking about it.”

Her back straightened. “Right. Of course. What’s another dirty secret between us?”

“Hughes,” he started.

She stood and cut him off. “Are we done here? I have chores to get done.”

“Yes,” he replied. She spun around and left the room. Lucas stared after her. He’d thought she’d moved on from what happened between them. But apparently she was still upset by it. She was just really good at hiding it.


	4. Chapter 4

Feeling all of her emotions building, Vic hurried out of the captain’s office and through the station. She went straight up to the roof, hoping no one else would need some fresh air. It wasn’t the fresh air she needed so much as to be alone. Somewhere to work through the emotional train wreck she’d become over the last few hours.

Ripley not sending anyone in to check for victims had pissed her off. She even briefly wondered if he said no just because she requested the permission to go in. But then he wouldn’t let any of them go. So it wasn’t just that he felt protective over her. Which relieved her, but it also disappointed her a bit. Down deep inside, Vic wished he would show that he cared about her. Then she wouldn’t have to believe that Ripley was the kind of person to sleep with enough women he could forget one so easily.

He had shown his caring side in the office – by making her keep yet another secret. Vic appreciated that he let her know what it was that she saw. And that he explained the reasons he made the calls he did at the scene. She just wasn’t sure why he felt the need to give her information that he wasn’t supposed to share. He risked getting in serious trouble – with the police no less. And for what? To make her feel better?

The door opened behind her. Vic stayed as she was, half expecting Ripley to have tracked her down again. But it was Maya who sat down in the second chair. They continued the silence for several minutes. Vic was too scared to speak. If she opened her mouth, she might just spill all of her secrets. The secrets she shared with Chief Ripley.

Maya finally asked, “If you’re still here, does that mean Ripley didn’t fire you?”

“No, he didn’t fire me,” Vic sighed.

“So, what did he want, then?”

Vic stared out at the skyline of downtown Seattle. “He just told me that it wasn’t a person I saw in that warehouse.”

Maya shifted, temporarily getting Vic’s attention. “We already knew that. If there was a body, we would’ve been the ones to get it out.”

Right. Vic chewed on her lip. How could she explain without saying something she wasn’t supposed to? She finally settled on, “What I saw was apparently three large duffle bags. They were lined up or something.”

“Why would Ripley want to tell you that and not the rest of us?”

“I guess maybe because I’m the one that saw it? I don’t know.”

They went back to not speaking. Vic let her mind wander. Why, indeed, had he told her? She didn’t ask. The whole team knew it wasn’t a person. There was no logical reason for him to have spoken to her privately about it. Or to tell her what was inside the bags.

“Is there something else, Vic?” Maya asked quietly.

Vic hesitated. Maya was her friend. But she was also a coworker. Who was best friends with one of their lieutenants. Whose dad was their former captain. It just kept spiraling. But who else did she have? Maybe if she talked about what happened, she could move on. Maybe she could stop wanting it to happen again.

“I slept with the Chief,” she announced. Maya didn’t respond right away. Vic glanced over to find her friend staring at her with wide eyes. “Please say something. To me, that is. You have to promise not to tell anyone else. Not even Andy. Especially not her. He told me not to tell anyone. But I need to. It’s driving me crazy. I was so stupid and caught up in the moment and I have no idea what I was thinking.”

She stopped to take a breath. Maya’s facial expression changed. “Wait, he’s not blackmailing you or anything, is he?”

“What? No!” Vic defended. Then she thought about the conversation she’d just had with him. How he’d given them yet another secret to share. “I don’t think so.”

“Has he threatened your job?”

Vic shook her head. “The opposite. He said if we tell anyone it would cause problems for both of us.”

“Such a gentleman,” Maya mumbled dryly. Then she asked, “When did it happen, anyway?”

“Umm,” Vic hesitated. “During that storm a few weeks ago?”

“The one that caused the mudslide that swept the aid car away?”

Nodding, Vic answered, “Yeah, that one. We found a cabin to wait out the storm in. It was abandoned, but whoever owns it left some blankets and wood in the stove. We were freezing, and our clothes needed to dry. So we wrapped the blankets around ourselves and sat by the fire while our clothes were spread out across the floor.”

“Well, that does sound like the perfect set up,” Maya commented. Vic glared at her. She shrugged. “What? All alone, both of you only wearing blankets. A nice warm fire going while it stormed outside. It sounds so romantic.”

“You make it sound like we planned it or something."

Maya laughed. “Not even Ripley can control the weather. Though I guess he could’ve done something ahead of time to cause the mudslide to happen. The cabin does seem a bit like it was left that way on purpose.”

“Are you saying he planned the whole thing to seduce me?”

“If not, it’s quite the coincidence.”

That idea sent Vic’s mind spinning. He’d said he wanted to drive because of the storm. It made sense to leave a lieutenant behind since he would have to be in charge. But what if Jack had been on a truck that day? Her brain screamed that answer at her. Ripley made the rotation schedule for the rigs.

She slapped her open palm against her forehead and lowered them both until her chin touched her chest. Maya laughed again. “You’re figuring out how he did it, aren’t you?”

Vic lifted her head. “It’s possible that he manipulated the whole situation and took advantage of the storm. But, why? And why me of all people?”

“Why not you? You’re gorgeous, upbeat, a badass firefighter,” Maya listed off.

“He hates me. Or, he hated me anyway. I’m not sure now. He’s so damn confusing,” Vic admitted.

Maya asked, “What makes you think he hates you?”

Hysterical laughter bubbled up from Vic’s chest. “He threatened to fire me just a few months ago. After I yelled at him for the second time.”

“The second time?”

Vic nodded. “The peer interview, then the skyscraper. That’s when he told me if I did it again he would fire me. Wait, you don’t think that’s why he did it, do you?”

“Because you yelled at him?”

“No, because if he fires me now, I can’t fight it without risking the department finding out that I slept with him,” Vic stated, anger and disgust erupting inside her.

Maya shook her head and held up a hand. “I don’t think Ripley is that much of an ass. It’s well known that he’s all for promoting women within the department.”

Vic sagged into her chair. “God, I hope you’re right.”

“That being said,” Maya continued, “I can totally believe he would come up with an elaborate, crazy plan to seduce you.”

“Again, why?”

Maya shrugged. “Because you’re hot. He’s hot. It makes sense.”

“He’s the Chief.”

“Doesn’t sound like that mattered in the cabin. You know, away from the station, out of uniform…”

“Out of clothes at all,” Vic added. They shared a smile. “Okay, so if he did somehow plan it all, what does that mean now?”

Maya pointed a finger at her. “That is a question for him.”

Vic huffed. “Yeah, that’s a conversation I want to have.”

“Has he flirted with you since then? Or called you?”

“Nothing.”

“Has he said or done anything that suggests he regrets it?”

Vic thought back to the argument she had with Ripley before they were rescued. She accused him of regretting it, but then she hadn’t let him respond to the accusation. “Actually, no. He hasn’t.”

Another silence descended. Vic tried to remember everything Ripley said that night and the next morning. It wasn’t much thanks to her rambling self. And neither had mentioned it since then until she brought it up in their last interaction. They had actually done a pretty good job ignoring each other so far. Until he randomly decided to deepen their mutual deceit, that is.

Vic glanced over at Maya and asked, “How did you know I was up here?”

“Gibson saw you come out of the office and run up the stairs. He thought you might need someone to talk to that isn’t ranked,” Maya explained.

“Ain’t that the truth,” Vic laughed out. The alarm sounded, so they both jumped up and ran for the door. As they descended the stairs, Vic said, “Please don’t say anything. Or act weird. Or do anything that might make someone suspicious.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Maya promised. They reached the bottom, and she used her back to push open another door. “As long as you give me all the hot, steamy details later.”

Vic groaned as they entered the bay area. Of course her gaze immediately went to Ripley. She averted it quickly and concentrated on getting into her turnouts. Her talk with Maya hadn’t really helped. Rather than feeling ready to move on, Vic felt stuck. Even if she didn’t want to risk her job, the sex had been good. And if Ripley had purposely set the whole situation up, then he might want it to happen again. She just needed to figure out if she wanted it, too.

Perhaps because of what Maya said, Vic noticed every time Ripley looked her way. Which was a lot. But he didn’t stare at her or anything that would make it obvious he was interested in her. His expression never changed from the stoic, in charge persona he wore at every scene. She couldn’t tell how he felt toward her.

But she couldn’t help but wonder about the night of the storm. At the time, Vic had thought Ripley wanted to protect his firefighters when he volunteered to drive. That finding the cabin was pure luck. She hadn’t thought about why an abandoned cabin would have wood in the stove and blankets folded neatly in the corner. Thanks to Maya, that was at the front of her mind.

The team finished the call fairly quickly and went back to the station. Vic followed Ripley to the office and shut the door. He spun around at the sound but only stared at her. She stated, “You planned it.”

“Planned what?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

“The cabin. Everything that happened there. You set it all up.”

Ripley’s eyes narrowed. He dropped his hands to his hips. “How did you come up with that?”

She hesitated before telling him, “It makes sense. You and I just happen to be in the aid car alone on a mountain road during a huge storm. We just happen to find a cabin that’s supposedly abandoned. Yet that cabin had warm blankets and wood in a working wood burning stove.”

“We got lucky,” he said.

Vic let out a short laugh. “If that’s what you want to call it.”

Ripley shook his head and moved behind the desk. “Are you seriously accusing me of seducing you that night?”

“Yes.”

He stared at her, his face going blank. Vic wished he would say something, even deny it. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be right or wrong. But she wanted, no, she needed to know either way. If she was wrong, she could start trying to put it all behind her. If she was right, well, she didn’t know what would come next.

“You know, I should consider this attacking me again,” he finally said quietly. Vic’s heart jumped. No. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Tears pooled in her eyes. She shook her head.

“I’m sorry. I take it all back. I shouldn’t have said anything. Please don’t take my job away from me. This place is all I have,” she pleaded.

Ripley’s expression changed. He actually showed a bit of sympathy. “I’m not going to fire you over something we both did.”

“What?”

He gestured for her to sit. She did and wiped at her eyes. Ripley sat as well and rested his elbows on the desk. “I did not plan to get us almost killed in that storm. I had no idea that cabin was there. As for the blankets and stove, maybe whoever owns it left them behind on purpose in case someone needed it.”

“Someone like us,” Vic said.

“Exactly,” Ripley continued. “We did get lucky that we survived and that we found the cabin. No planning went into it at all on my part. Natural events led to our actions that night. That’s all there is to it.”

Vic felt depleted. She’d worked herself up over it so much that she almost felt let down. She found herself unable to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry. For all of it.”

“I forgive you,” he replied. “And just know that any actions I take in the future regarding your career will have no influence by what we did.”

She did meet his eyes then. “Thank you.”

He lifted his chin toward the door. “Now go join the rest of your team and forget about it. All of it. It happened, and now we both can and should move on from it.”

Vic nodded. Then she stood and left without another word. She didn’t join her team, though. She went right back up to the roof to hide some more. If any of her friends saw her, they would know that something happened. And they would ask questions. She wasn’t ready to answer questions yet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next couple of chapters give a little reprieve after the last one. Lucas redeems himself. Somewhat.

The day finally came for Lucas to escape Station 19. He worked tirelessly to find someone suitable to take over as the new captain. He didn’t want to leave it to just anybody. They needed someone who would give them structure and help them grow without diminishing their spirit or sense of family. And he finally found the perfect person – someone who needed them as much as they needed him.

The introduction of Captain Sullivan to the team could have gone smoother. Lucas wasn’t sure Sullivan made a good first impression with his brusque takeover. Lieutenant Herrera didn’t help welcome him any by immediately countering him. She was definitely her father’s protégé. It would be interesting to see how those two learned to work together. Two headstrong people with their own opinions on how the station should be run. Lucas almost wished he could stick around just to watch.

But he needed to remove himself from the station, go back to being Chief of the entire department. Some of those duties had either been delegated to battalion chiefs or abandoned altogether while he was at Nineteen. It would take him weeks to get caught up on everything. And that wasn’t including all of the meetings that had been postponed. Because he had to stay at the station, only time sensitive meetings were brought to his attention. Everything else needed to be scheduled in at some point.

He had to admit it felt weird walking into headquarters. His secretary greeted him with a welcoming smile and a stack of memos from the last six weeks. He thanked her and stepped into his office. Everything was just as he’d left it. He placed the memos on his desk and pulled the files he’d taken with him out of his bag, putting them away before he lost them. Then he started up the computer, intending to make a plan to get caught up on all of the waiting paperwork.

Two hours later, he felt restless. He couldn’t look at another scene report, and the budgeting looked like a bunch of dancing numbers. It would all have to be dealt with at some point, but he needed a break. So he told his secretary he would be out for a while and left headquarters. He didn’t realize he had a destination until he pulled into the driveway of Station 19.

Apparently he really could not get away from that place. He should’ve left. Driven away and visited another station. Nobody had seen him yet. But he was curious about how things were going with the new captain. It was part of his job to check in when a station had a staff change, after all. So he was technically obligated to go in and talk to them.

And of course the first person he saw was Hughes. She stood behind the reception desk, replacing the phone on its cradle. Then she looked up and froze. “Uh, hi, Chief. I thought you were through with us. Now that we have Sullivan here, I mean.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “I’m out visiting stations. I thought I’d stop by and see how things are going with the new captain.”

“Well, he isn’t you,” she mumbled.

“That’s probably a good thing,” he responded, amused at her observation.

She blushed. “I mean the way he captains us. I’m sure he’s great. He’s just not…”

“Me,” he finished for her. His lips twitched with the urge to laugh.

“That sounds wrong,” she admitted.

A chuckle escaped before Lucas could stop it. “I know what you meant.”

Her eyes flashed. “And you let me go on like that? Embarrassing myself?”

“I suppose I should say I’m sorry,” he said, though he really wasn’t. For letting her ramble, anyway.

“That’s a start,” she told him, crossing her arms over her chest. The motion directed his gaze to her breasts. Even covered by her uniform, the memory of touching them popped into his mind.

He cleared his throat and forced himself to look away from her altogether. When he had control of himself again, he looked back at her and asked, “Where is Sullivan?”

She pointed to the closed door behind him. “He’s been in there all day. Except for a mid shift lineup. Who does that?”

“Maybe it’s his way of getting to know your team,” Lucas suggested.

“That’s an interesting way to do it.”

“He has his own way of doing things. Just give him a chance.”

“We kind of have to, don’t we? Since you made him our captain and all,” she countered.

The office door opened. Lucas spun around to find Sullivan standing in the doorway, staring at him. He glanced back to answer Hughes, but she wasn’t there. She’d completely disappeared. He frowned. Surely she wasn’t scared of Sullivan. Or maybe she just didn’t want her new captain to catch her talking to him. He didn’t like the implications of that. Then again, they had been talking about Sullivan, candidly.

“Did you forget something, Chief?” Sullivan asked. 

Lucas faced the Captain once more. He shook his head. “I’m taking a break and visiting a few stations. I thought I’d drop by to see how you’re settling in here.”

“So you’re checking up on me.”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

Sullivan paused for a moment, then said, “It is your job.”

Lucas sighed. “It’s not just the job. I want you to fit in here, to fit with these people.”

“Your people are perfectly safe,” Sullivan stated.

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”

“I know. You’re still trying to be extra nice in hopes I’ll forgive you for what you did to my wife,” Sullivan responded. “It won’t work.”

Holding up his hands, Lucas said, “Okay, fine. I’ll try to stay away for a while. Let you get settled in and make the changes you need to make.”

“Don’t expect any gratitude.”

“I know better,” Lucas replied. “And I’m done giving you my apologies for that day. Just do your job, and we’ll be fine.”

Lucas shook his head as he walked out. He sat in his vehicle and stared at the building. Technically that entire visit was full of insubordination. From Hughes and Sullivan. Yet he couldn’t fault either of them for the things they said. They were spoken with anger at him. Over actions he decided to take. Not that he regretted either choice at either time. But still, he couldn’t blame them for being angry.

He made a few more stops to check on other stations. But eventually he forced himself to go back to his office and the paperwork waiting for him. He managed to finalize two reports without losing his concentration. But the next one he came to was from the night of the storm. He sucked in a lungful of air and let it out slowly. Then he opened the file.

Of course it was the report from the mudslide and subsequent rescue of himself and Hughes. He didn’t need to read his own. The next one was the one from Hughes, but he set it aside and read Herrera’s and Gibson’s accounts of the rescue instead. They were both straightforward, to the point. He signed off on them.

Then he picked up Hughes' report. He held his breath while he read in her words what happened that night. She had thankfully kept it factual and simple. The only mention of the cabin was that they used it to stay dry until the next morning. No details of what happened inside the cabin. Of what they did there. Of what he allowed himself to do.

His mind filled in the blanks for him. He visualized the way she looked at him, the way she flirted openly and unashamed. He could hear the whimpers and the moans that had come from her mouth. See the touches and caresses they shared. The feel of her beneath him, accepting him in.

Lucas shook himself to rid his mind of the memories. He should not be fantasizing about her. He shouldn’t even be thinking about her. Not in a romantic way, for sure. Or any way other than as one of his firefighters. One that he had spent a night with in an empty cabin during a storm. And enjoyed every damn minute of it.


	6. Chapter 6

Vic needed someone to talk to. Travis was back at work, which meant she couldn’t avoid him anymore. She couldn’t pretend like everything was fine anymore. She had to face him, work with him. And of course Sullivan wasn’t going to let her not work with Travis. No, on their first call he gave them an assignment together. There had been no getting out of it, either. She tried.

She managed to get through the rest of the shift by not being where he was as much as possible. She even volunteered to do chores for the others and do some mechanic work on the trucks. But then he found her. And they argued until Sullivan put a stop to it. He suggested the peer support group, but Vic didn’t need something like that. She just needed someone to vent her anger at so she could be civil to Travis again.

But she had no one to vent to. Andy was spending time with her dad after shift. Maya was busy all day then had a date that night. Vic wasn’t sure she could really be open with the guys about her feelings. Travis was the only one of the men at the station she ever felt like she could talk to. And she couldn’t do that this time since he was the problem. So for lack of an ear to listen to her issues, Vic found herself drowning her emotions with alcohol. To be fair, at least she technically wasn’t drinking alone. She just didn’t have anything to say to the other people in the bar unless she was ordering another drink.

“You know, some say a person sitting alone at a bar is trying to forget about someone or something,” a familiar voice said from beside her.

Vic had not had enough to drink to not recognize him. She looked over her shoulder and asked, “Chief? What are you doing here?”

He ordered a beer and sat on the stool beside her. “Probably the same thing you are.”

“What’s that?” she inquired, downing some of her drink.

“Trying to relax enough to get some sleep,” he replied. The bartender set a beer in front of him, and Vic watched as he swallowed some of it. Then he looked at her. “So are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Suffering from insomnia.”

Vic shook her head. “I haven’t even tried to go to sleep tonight. I have too much on my mind.”

Ripley sipped his beer before asking, “Care to talk about it?”

“To you?”

He shrugged. “I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”

Vic sighed. Then she drained her glass and signaled for another. She finally said, “Travis – Montgomery is back at work. He started yesterday.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“I’m pissed at him. So much I can’t stand to be around him,” Vic admitted.

Ripley hesitated before responding, “What did he do?”

Vic glanced over to remind herself who she was talking to. Then she chose her words carefully. “He told Warren to leave him behind to die in the skyscraper. He didn’t know anyone else was still in the building.”

Her voice caught, and she stopped. Ripley’s voice was quiet when he filled in, “Because he heard me evacuate everyone from the building.”

All she could do was nod. She drank some more while she tried to figure out what more to say. Finally she decided on, “He didn’t know I was still there, that I was headed down from the floors above him. He didn’t know that I would find him. And he still sent Warren away. The one person who could actually do something to save him was right there, and he told him to leave. He decided to let himself die. Alone. In a staircase of a building that could’ve collapsed on him.”

“Have you thought maybe that’s why he sent Warren away?” Ripley pointed out.

“Because he wanted to die?”

He shook his head. “No. He should have died in that stairwell, true. With his injuries, it’s a miracle he’s alive let alone back at work after only seven weeks. But if he thought he was going to die, maybe he sent Warren out so he didn’t have to watch it happen. Warren is a rookie, after all. Watching a fellow firefighter bleed out right in front of you leaves an impression. Montgomery also put the patient before himself, something most of us will do every time. Even when it means that we have no chance of making it out alive ourselves.”

Vic stared at him. He shifted on his stool and sipped some of his beer. He didn’t look at her. She kept staring. She didn’t know what to say. When she sought out comfort and oblivion, she never expected to get a new perspective on what had happened. And definitely not from Chief Ripley of all people. But he seemed to have some kind of experience with the situation. An insight into what Travis could have been thinking during that time.

“Why does what you said have to make sense? I’m too pissed to hear things that make sense,” she stated.

He set his bottle down and looked her way. “Over fifteen years of experience has taught me a lot about how different firefighters think and act. It might be hard to hear, but trust me when I say it’s the truth.”

Vic let out a short laugh. “I guess that’s why you’re the Chief.”

Ripley tipped his beer up again. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Silence descended. They both sipped their drinks. Vic let her mind wander. She could see Travis putting someone else’s life before his own. She could also see him protecting the rookie from watching him bleed to death. It didn’t make her feel any less betrayed or angry, but she understood why he did it. Thanks to Ripley.

“Uh, thanks, Chief,” she mumbled.

He choked on his drink. Once he was done coughing, he asked, “For what?”

“For letting me rant. And for trying to help me understand,” she told him.

“Glad I could help,” he replied. He lifted his beer to his lips but then lowered it again. “Does this mean you’re not still mad at me?”

Vic sent him an innocent look. “When did I say I was mad at you?”

He said, “You didn’t have to. I could tell you’ve been mad at me since the storm.”

“Why would I be mad?”

“You tell me.”

She emptied her glass but shook her head at the bartender. She didn’t need more alcohol. What she needed was to get out of there before she said or did something stupid. Like kiss Ripley again. Or tell him how attractive he looked in his sweater. Or that she hadn’t forgotten a single thing about that night. Because that would be admitting she still thought about him and what they did. Which she didn’t. Much.

She stood up. Or at least, she tried to stand up. Her legs didn’t seem to want to work the way they were supposed to. She fell back against the barstool she’d been sitting on. A hand wrapped around her arm. Then Ripley said, “Why don’t I give you a ride? I think you’ve had a little too much to drive yourself.”

Vic wanted to turn him down. Even with an alcohol-fogged brain, she knew she should tell him no. But yet she found herself nodding. He was just taking care of one of his firefighters, after all. It didn’t mean anything more than that. He knew she was drunk. Not making sure she got home safely would be irresponsible of the Fire Chief. He was just protecting his job and one of his assets. That’s what she told herself, anyway.

Ripley paid for their drinks before Vic realized what he was doing. Then he slid an arm around her waist and walked her out the door. Vic wondered what would happen if someone from the department saw them like that. Ripley shifted so that she wasn’t pressed against his side. She looked up at him. He wasn’t smiling. She attempted to pull away from him.

“Stop fighting. You’re going to fall if I let go,” he growled.

Vic stopped. “Sorry.”

They reached a truck, and Ripley opened the door. Without asking if she was okay with it, he picked her up and sat her on the seat. “Buckle up.”

He slammed the door. Vic watched him round the hood and get behind the wheel. He started the engine but didn’t shift out of Park. He stared out the windshield. Vic asked, “Is something wrong?”

“No,” he replied. “Put your seatbelt on. And I need to know where I’m going.”

Oh, right. Of course he didn’t know where she lived. He had no reason to know where her apartment was. She gave him the address and directions. Then she leaned back against the seat while he drove. They didn’t talk. The radio played quietly, but otherwise it was quiet in the truck.

He parked in front of her building and opened her door before Vic even moved. She stared at him in confusion until he told her, “You can’t walk. I’m going to make sure you get inside before I leave. I promise I have no ulterior motives.”

“You made that promise before and didn’t keep it,” she murmured.

Ripley blanched and stepped back, holding up his hands. “I’m sorry. Maybe I should stay out here.”

Vic swung her legs around and almost fell out of the truck. He caught her before she hit the ground. She groaned as her head pounded from the sudden movement. “This is going to suck so hard.”

He leaned her against the side of his truck and moved back again. “Is there someone you can call?”

“I’ll be fine. Just help me get inside and I’ll crash ‘til morning.”

Rather than helping her walk, Ripley picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. The new position made Vic’s head swim. She concentrated on not vomiting as he carried her to her apartment. He set her down, and she fell against the wall. He shook his head and held out a hand. “Hand me your keys.”

She dug them out and handed them over. Ripley unlocked the door. This time he let her walk. She made it to the sofa before she collapsed. He immediately turned toward the still open door. Vic called out, “Thank you, Chief. For making sure I got home.”

He stopped at the doorway and faced her. The expression in his eyes was soft as he replied, “I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“Yeah, I know. I can’t work if I’m injured.”

A strange expression crossed his features. He started to speak, stopped, and then told her, “By the way, if you’re still needing someone to talk to about Montgomery, there’s a support group meeting for firefighters next week. It will help.”

“Sullivan mentioned that,” Vic said. Ripley lifted an eyebrow. She shrugged. “Travis and I might have gotten into an argument at the station yesterday. A loud argument.”

“Then I’d say you both need to go to the meeting.”

“Maybe,” she conceded.

He nodded once and said, “Get some rest, Hughes.”

Then he was gone. Vic fell back onto the sofa and stared at the ceiling. So she went to the bar because she had no one to talk to about her anger toward Travis. And she ended up talking to Ripley of all people. He turned out to be a good listener like he’d said. She wasn’t sure yet how she felt about his advice.

Then he took her home. Maybe it was out of obligation because she was one of his firefighters. She didn’t know if he made it a habit of taking drunk firefighters home. If so, she’d never heard about it. Yet she didn’t want to ask anyone in case that wasn’t his true reason. She still wondered if he cared about her more than the others. He didn’t act like it when they were at work, and he told her that they should move on and forget what happened. But then he let her rant about her best friend almost dying and then took her home because she was too drunk to get there herself. He had to care a little bit, then. Right?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So starting with this chapter, it follows the episodes. I kept some scenes the same, brushed over some, and changed some. Everything with Jack knowing is different because, for the purpose of this story, Maya is the only one who knows about any of it.
> 
> Yes, there is some more Vicley agnst to come. But enjoy this chapter first.

The support group helped a lot of firefighters deal with the issues the job created. It was why Lucas started it fifteen years ago. He tried to share his own experiences as often as possible to show the others that they weren’t alone in their suffering. No firefighter should ever have to handle emotional turbulence by themselves.

When Lucas saw Montgomery sitting several rows back, he was relieved. Then he noticed Hughes join her teammate and made a decision. The latest speaker finished, and Lucas stood up. Even though he shared his thoughts on the skyscraper the week after it happened, only a few people who heard it then were there to hear it again. And two new visitors really needed to know that they weren’t the only ones affected by that night.

He made sure his gaze traveled over the whole group, but his attention stayed on Hughes and Montgomery. His words got to them, he could tell. Perhaps it brought up memories, but he knew they needed to deal with their feelings. He hoped maybe hearing his side of the events would help them talk about it. Give them some common ground to start the conversation with.

But apparently Montgomery wasn’t ready to talk just yet. As soon as the meeting ended, he raced out of the room. Lucas sighed. He knew healing would take time. He needed to keep reminding himself of that. Montgomery had barely healed physically from what his body endured. His mind had only just begun the process.

Lucas was getting fresh coffee and thinking of ways to help Montgomery when Hughes appeared beside him. She was dressed casually yet still looked beautiful. Seeing her out of uniform reminded him of finding her at the bar the week before. He hadn’t been able to sleep after waking up from a dream. Nightmares of the skyscraper really did still bother him. But that night it had been a dream of a different kind. From a different night. A night that should give him just as many regrets.

Yet there were some parts that he couldn’t force himself to regret happening. He regretted not shutting down the department when the storm got as bad as it did. And taking the call out on the hiking trail where the landscape could be treacherous. And putting one of his firefighters in danger along with himself. He didn’t regret choosing Hughes to go with him. And he didn’t regret a single thing that happened inside that cabin.

Hughes started speaking, and Lucas’s focus flew to her face. Her eyes were so emotional he felt as though he could see every thought she had. He could only hope his own weren’t as clear. While he was able to have a stilted, awkward conversation with her, his mind went back to the night they spent together. She was attractive – and not just physically. She intrigued him. And he found himself wanting to get to know her more. Wanting to see her more.

So he said as much. Well, in a vague, not-so-purely-platonic way, but he said it. Her eyes told him she understood his meaning without her saying so. They were surrounded by people connected to the department they both worked for. People who probably wouldn’t take too well to the Chief hitting on one of them. She seemed to realize that, too, since she rushed away so quickly. He let her, his eyes following her until he could no longer see her.

After checking in on a few who had come to multiple meetings, Lucas made his own escape. He took out his phone as he left the building, trying to decide if he should call Hughes or wait for her to make the next move. He hoped she wanted to see him as much as he wanted to see her. Though he had tried to forget, it appeared the memories and the craving they brought weren’t going away anytime soon. And if she felt the same way, which he guessed she did since she kept bringing it up to him, he might as well give in to it all.

He lifted his head as he neared his truck and stopped. Slowly, he slipped his phone back into his pocket. He didn’t need to call her because she waited for him, leaning against the door to his truck. Lucas walked toward her, not taking his eyes off her. She looked up, saw him, and straightened. As soon as he was close enough, she said, “I was beginning to wonder if you were going to be in there all night.”

“I talked to a few guys who have been here before. Wanted to find out how they’re healing,” he told her.

She smiled. “Always worrying about your people.”

He stepped right in front of her and spoke quietly. “Some more than others.”

Her eyes widened. Their gazes locked. He wanted to kiss her, but others were leaving the meeting as well. Two walked by, chatting loudly. Hughes glanced toward them before meeting his eyes once more. “My apartment isn’t too far from here. And it’s less…public.”

Desire shot through his body. He leaned down so he could whisper, “I’ll be there right behind you.”

They shared a heated look before she brushed past him and sashayed away. Lucas had to shake himself just to get control over his mind again. Had that really just happened? She waited for him outside, then invited him to her apartment. Yeah, she had definitely just made the first move. Again. And he was wasting time thinking about it when she was already gone. He shook his head again and opened the door to his truck. He didn’t let himself ponder why he remembered where she lived enough to get there from the opposite direction of the bar.

Minutes later, Lucas knocked on her door. She opened it with a frown. “Took you long enough.”

“Somebody’s impatient,” he commented as she let him in. She had taken off her jacket and shoes, and that small difference made her look at home. Comfortable. But the look in her eyes was anything but comfortable.

“It’s been over a month since I had mind blowing sex. I’m done waiting.”

She grabbed the sides of his head and crashed her lips to his before Lucas could comprehend what she had just told him. He responded in kind, undoing her hair in an instant. He turned them, pressing her against the wall as he trailed kisses down her neck. Her hands roamed down his back, gripping the hem of his sweater. She lifted it over his head and tossed it somewhere behind him. His t-shirt followed.

Lucas skimmed his fingers over the skin at her waist, slowly moving upwards. He stopped when he reached her bra and pulled back so he could see her eyes. “Just to be clear, you want this. Right?”

“Don’t make me threaten to throw you outside again.”

He chuckled. It turned into a moan when she sucked on the skin above his collarbone. He yanked her shirt off and lowered his head to her breasts. Without bothering to remove her bra, Lucas mouthed a nipple. She let out her own moan. His hand cupped her other breast, squeezing it gently. Her hips pushed forward into his. They both moaned at the friction it caused.

She trailed kisses across his chest, occasionally nipping at his skin. Then she moved lower, over his stomach. Her fingers quickly undid his jeans, and Lucas suddenly found himself naked in front of her. Again. But he didn’t have time to dwell on it because she wrapped a hand around him and swirled her tongue over the tip. He gasped and steadied himself by placing his hands on the wall above her head. He watched as she teased with her tongue and then slid her lips over him as she took him into her mouth.

The sight was almost as good as the feeling as she continued to suck and lick and squeeze. But Lucas did not want it to end there. He finally gasped out, “Hughes!”

She kept going.

“Victoria!”

That got her attention. She pulled back and looked up at him. “What?”

“I’m too close. I need to be inside you,” he managed to tell her. Silently, she stood and kissed him. Hard. As their tongues tangled, Lucas worked on ridding her of the rest of her clothes. One of his hands slipped between her thighs, two fingers sinking into her wetness. It was her turn to gasp. He stroked her a few times before withdrawing his hand.

Lucas grasped her thighs just under her ass and lifted her up. Her legs wrapped around his hips. He broke the kiss so he could watch her face as he slowly slid into her. She moaned, her mouth open. Her eyes widened and somehow darkened. Lucas almost finished right then just from watching her enjoyment. He held back, though, wanting her to be right there with him.

Her legs tightened around him as he began thrusting his hips. Their mouths met in a series of open kisses. Her hands gripped the back of his neck, fingers gently tugging on his hair. Wanting to have her beneath him again, Lucas held her against him and moved toward the sofa. He laid them both down and continued his thrusts at a much slower pace. He removed her hands from his head, linked their fingers, and held them above her head. Then he lowered his lips to her exposed breasts once more.

She squirmed as he lavished her breasts with his lips, tongue, and even the occasional bite with his teeth. He loved the responses he got from her when he did that. Or when he touched her just above where their bodies joined. Which he did, earning him a glorious sight. She threw her head back and cried out, her breasts pushing up as her back arched. Her inner muscles squeezed him, drawing out his own moan as their bodies released together.

Afterwards, they laid there sharing oxygen as they relaxed down from the high. She let her legs fall beside his. Her hands moved to his back, lazily running up and down. Lucas kept his arms locked on either side of her head to keep from crushing her. He smiled down at her and stole a quick kiss. She returned the smile and said, “I think that might have been better than the first time.”

“Oh really,” he replied. She nodded and bit her lip. “Maybe the next time will be even better, then.”

“Next time?”

“Yes, next time,” he repeated, then kissed her again.

When he pulled back, she asked, “When will this next time be?”

Lucas shifted his hips. Her eyes widened. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “As soon as my body can handle more.”

A shiver shook her whole body. Her eyes flared. She grabbed the back of his head and yanked his mouth down to meet hers. This kiss was anything but quick. It was hot and full of passion and had no trace of tiredness even though they had just finished a round of sex. Lucas felt himself getting aroused again. He knew the moment she felt it, too. Her kiss became more desperate. Her hands moved down and pressed his hips against hers.

Then she broke apart with a gasp and said, “I say we take this to my much bigger bed.”

He immediately pulled away and stood, holding out a hand to help her up. Then he gestured with his other arm, saying, “Lead the way.”

The trip to her bedroom was not nearly long enough for him to enjoy the view of her walking naked in front of him. But once she reached the bed, she turned. He decided he liked this view even better. He moved toward her, cupping her cheeks with his hands and pressing his lips to hers. She responded by opening her lips and darting her tongue out. Lucas stepped even closer, and they both fell onto the bed.

She crawled backwards to the top of the bed, and he followed. He trailed his fingers up her legs until he reached the top of her thighs. Then he gently applied pressure to get her to part her legs. She didn’t need much convincing. Her thighs fell open, and he breathed in her scent. He slid his tongue over her slit, circling her bundle of nerves. She cried out and grabbed his head, trying to move him where she needed him. But he resisted. He wasn’t done teasing her just yet.

His tongue continued its ministrations, and his hands ran over her hips and across her stomach. He brought them down so that his thumbs met just above the top of her folds and pressed down at the same time his tongue put pressure on her most sensitive place. She came undone in an instant. Her thighs squeezed against his head. Her hands pulled his face tighter against her. And he kept his thumbs in place while flicking his tongue up and down.

When she finally started coming back down and released her hold on him, Lucas stretched out on top of her. He kissed her neck and shoulders, slowly working his way back to her lips. She opened her eyes and smiled. “That was a first. I didn’t even know that area was that sensitive.”

Lucas laughed. “Now you know.”

“And now I need to know what else you can do,” she told him a second before wrapping her legs around his, grasping his head, and flipping them over. He ended up on his back with her straddling his hips. The grin on her face was a mixture of pride and lust. Lucas wasn’t sure which one turned him on more.

Then she lifted herself up, positioned him, and slid back down all in one movement. A moan escaped through his lips. His eyes closed for a moment as he enjoyed the new position. But he opened them once she began riding him. She started out slow, their gazes locked. His hands rested against her thighs, but he let her keep the pace. Watching her take charge just made the whole experience better.

She leaned forward and kissed him. A satisfied moan left her lips, and she rolled her hips forward. He could feel himself rubbing against her with every thrust, so he started lifting his own hips to meet hers. The pace became a bit frantic. Lucas propped himself up with one arm and slid the other hand to the back of her neck. He pressed his lips against hers as her rocking sped up. He could tell she was close even though he somehow wasn’t quite there yet.

She sat up and leaned back, her hands bracing on either side of his legs. Her hips continued to roll as her body shook. Lucas pressed in on her hips and took over the thrusting, letting her inner muscles take him over the edge. His orgasm wasn’t as strong as the first had been, but it still left him feeling relaxed and satiated. For the time being, anyway.

Victoria – he couldn’t think of her as just Hughes anymore – rolled off of him and snuggled up to his side. She placed a hand on his chest, resting her cheek on top. Lucas slid an arm underneath her so he could hold her close. Minutes passed with only the sound of their breath evening out. Then she lifted her head so her chin was on her hand. “You were right. It definitely gets better every time.”

Lucas just smiled. Yeah, it definitely got better each time. And that posed a potential problem. Even though he wasn’t her captain anymore, he was still her boss. If they continued this, they would have to keep it a secret. And he already knew how she felt about keeping secrets. So he would leave it up to her. If she wanted to keep seeing him, he would do his best to make her happy. But if she didn’t want it, then he would let her walk away. Somehow.


	8. Chapter 8

She couldn’t do this. What had she been thinking? Waiting outside the support group for him, inviting him to her apartment. Having sex with him again. More than once. Damn was the sex good. Better than good. But letting it happen meant their secret had grown. Someone was going to notice, figure it out. Probably Maya since Vic made the mistake of telling her about the first time. Of course that had been before the second time. And third. And-

Vic cut off her own thoughts. She was at work, which meant she needed to do her best not to let anyone figure out something was up. But then Jack had to go and tell them he was planning a surprise birthday party for Dean. Vic couldn’t handle another secret. So of course Dean noticed as soon as he saw her. Stuffing her mouth with a muffin didn’t help, either. At least she blabbed about the least incriminating secret she kept.

And then of course her biggest secret walked through the door. While she had so much food in her mouth she could hardly chew. That didn’t stop her from saying hello, though. She just hoped her teammates didn’t see the flash of attraction in his eyes when he smiled back at her. Or the way his gaze traveled over her body in that split second. Thankfully he changed the subject before either of them made a fool of themselves.

He stood there looking all glorious in his uniform while Sullivan gave instructions for the CPR training they were having for PD. Vic could hardly keep her eyes off him. Then he caught her staring and offered a smile and a wave. He freakin' waved at her. In front of her entire team and the police officers. She looked down, trying to pretend it didn’t happen.

Andy nudged her and asked, “Did Ripley just wave at you?”

Oh, no. She saw it. Vic tried to brush it off. People waved at each other all the time, right? Of course, Andy being Andy, she pushed. Vic looked around the room, hoping for a distraction. She found one when she noticed Ryan staring at Andy. “Don’t look now but Tanner’s trying to catch your eye.”

It worked. Andy started talking about how awkward things were with Ryan. And then Sullivan ended his speech, and they all went to their stations. Vic was able to concentrate on the training and the tension between Andy and Ryan for most of the day. Plus Jack and Maya created some entertainment trying to win over the same girl. Vic sensed Ripley in the room but did her best not to look at him. Thankfully Andy was so preoccupied she didn’t seem to pay attention to whether Ripley was watching Vic.

Once the training was over and the cops left, Jack tried again to surprise Dean. They sent Vic to get the cake. And she really wished they hadn’t chosen her because it meant everyone was gathered elsewhere when she found Ripley in the beanery. He surprised her when he started talking about Sullivan. She wasn’t sure exactly what it was he was saying, but at least it wasn’t about them.

And then she had to go and start an awkward conversation about him always being at the station. Relief washed over her when he told her it was his job. Then he added, “I do like 19, though. I like the energy here. Of course, I, uh, I like the people.”

The look he gave her said more than his words did. He wanted her. She could see it clearly. And she didn’t know what to do about it. So she did what she does best. She babbled and made the whole situation even more awkward. But then she was saved with a group text from Jack, telling everyone to come to the roof. She looked at Ripley and said, “We’re having cake for Miller’s birthday. Care to join us? You know, since you like us so much.”

He laughed and nodded. “Lead the way.”

Around her team again, Vic distracted herself – mostly. She could still sense Ripley standing beside her. And she took advantage of the relaxed atmosphere to make him help with the cake. She did make a conscious effort to not stand too close. Maya was there, after all. Vic wasn’t ready for her friend to know that it was no longer a one time thing. She needed to figure out what it was first. What she wanted from it. From him.

The rest of the night passed fairly quiet and easy. Only the aid car was called out twice once they were put back on service. Vic took one of those calls with Ben just to have something to do. And to escape the station for a while. With Sullivan leaving after the scene with Maya and Andy, Ripley stayed for the rest of the shift. Thankfully he kept to himself in the captain’s office for most of it. Vic only caught a glimpse of him once, again in the beanery, and changed her destination.

As she packed her things up at the end of shift, Vic’s phone went off with a text message. It was from Ripley, so she scanned the room to make sure she was alone before reading it. “I have to be honest. Part of the reason I stayed today was so I could see you. I keep thinking about the other night.”

Vic felt herself blush. Other areas of her body responded as well. She quickly typed back, “Come to my place and you might get a repeat.”

She regretted it the moment she sent it. Inviting him over was the last thing she should’ve done. But it was too late to retract the offer. He replied within seconds with, “Be there soon.”

Despite knowing it was a bad idea, desire sept swept through her body. She bit her lip to keep a smile off her face as she left the station. She didn’t want anyone to get suspicious or ask any questions. There wasn’t time for her to think of anything plausible to tell them. Besides, she needed to get home before he got there. The last thing she needed was for Travis or one of the girls to show up and find him waiting for her.

Which he was. Vic saw him leaning against her door as soon as she reached her floor. She approached him slowly, hesitantly. But he lifted his head, and their gazes met. He straightened up and smiled. “I hope it’s okay that I waited here for you. I didn’t realize you were so far behind me.”

“Uh, yeah. It’s fine,” she sputtered out. She unlocked her door and added, “I was still at the station.”

“Sorry about that,” he laughed out.

Vic pushed open the door and stepped inside. “It’s fine. No one was around to see the screen.”

He shut the door. “That’s good.”

She glanced toward him but didn’t say anything. Instead, she walked toward the bedroom, knowing he would follow. She grabbed some clean, comfy clothes from her dresser and said over her shoulder, “I’m taking a shower. Feel free to either join me or wait out here.”

He didn’t follow her into the bathroom. Vic turned on the shower and undressed. She stepped under the spray, trying not to think about who it was she left standing in her bedroom. Or the fact that he didn’t continue to follow her. She did wonder if he would still be there when she was done. Maybe he realized he shouldn’t be there. Just disappeared without a word. She mumbled, “Yeah, that would be what he would do.”

“What who would do?” she heard just before his body pressed against hers. She turned to face him.

“Oh, nothing,” she replied, sliding her arms around his neck. He placed his hands on her waist. Then he kissed her, soft and sweet. His hands didn’t move. Vic enjoyed the tenderness, but it wasn’t what she wanted. She glided her hands down over his chest.

He caught her wrists just before they moved past his navel. She pulled back to stare at him. He stared at her lips as he said, “Let’s wait for that when we’re not standing on soap-slick tile.”

“You mean you’re not going to take advantage of me in here? Even though you made the decision to join me?” she asked.

Ripley stepped back and let go of her wrists. “Is that what you think I’m doing? Taking advantage of you?”

“I never said-"

“You just did,” he interrupted. He reached around her and shut the water off. Then he stepped out of the shower. Seconds later, he handed her a towel. She took it and wrapped it around herself before joining him in the bedroom.

He stood with his back to her, one arm raised and his head lowered. Vic headed toward him but stopped when her phone rang. Ripley halfway turned and looked at it where it lay on the bed. His own phone was clutched in his hand. Vic picked hers up and answered it, “Hey, Maya.”

“You okay?” Maya asked as a greeting.

Vic stared at Ripley and replied, “Yup. I’m good. What did you need?”

“I didn’t want to say anything earlier with everyone around, but I noticed a certain someone flirting with you all day yesterday,” Maya told her.

“You saw that?” Vic asked. Ripley’s eyebrows raised. She turned her back on him. Into the phone, she said, “Please tell me no one else did.”

Maya laughed. “I doubt it. Though Andy did mention something about him waving at you.”

Vic groaned and sank onto the bed. She pressed her forehead against the palm of her free hand. “Yes, that happened. I can’t believe she told you.”

“We’re roommates. We talk about things,” Maya informed her.

Vic’s anxiety kicked in. “You didn’t tell her anything, did you?”

Maya responded quickly, “Of course not. She’s a lieutenant. She has to report things like that. I can keep some things from her, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember. Wait, you’re-” Vic caught movement and looked over to see Ripley putting his clothes on. She put her fingers over the speaker on her phone and spoke to him. “Are you leaving?”

“I think it’s best if I go,” he replied.

“Vic?” Maya asked in her ear.

She uncovered the speaker and told her friend, “Hang on a second.”

Her fingers covered the speaker again just as he said, “We’ll talk later.”

“Just wait a damn minute,” Vic stated. He actually stopped buttoning up his shirt and stared at her. She uncovered the speaker again and said, “Hey, Maya, I have to go. We’ll talk later, okay?”

“Oh my God. He’s there right now, isn’t he?” Maya squealed.

“Good-bye, Maya,” Vic said and hung up. She immediately received a text but ignored it. She didn’t have to guess who it was from or what it said. Instead, she focused on the man trying to leave her bedroom. “You don’t need to go.”

He stayed silent for a long moment, his hands on his hips and his head lowered. When he looked up at her, his eyes held a look of betrayal. “You told Bishop about the cabin.”

Vic opened her mouth to reply and shut it again. Twice. What could she say? What did he want her to day? She finally went with a simple, “Yes.”

“Why?”

“It just came out,” she told him with a shrug.

He shook his head and held a hand out in front of him. “Do you realize what could happen if more people find out?”

Vic stood and squared her shoulders. “Of course I do.”

“And yet you told someone. Someone who is up for a promotion, at that.”

“I’m sorry, okay? We’d just had a fight, and she found me trying to hide how upset I was. She kept pushing me, and I can’t keep secrets. And it just kind of came out,” Vic admitted. She lowered her gaze to the floor. “She hasn’t told anyone.”

“Yet.”

She looked up again. “She won’t tell anyone.”

“I sure hope you’re right.”

“I am,” she stated, her voice and her fight growing weary. This wasn’t supposed to happen. They weren’t supposed to be fighting. He came over for a reason. A reason that apparently he had changed his mind about.

He let out a soft laugh. Vic stared at him, watching as a smile spread across his lips. His eyes darkened. “Do you realize you’re basically wearing the same thing you were that night?”

Vic glanced down at the towel wrapped around her body. She shifted her legs and looked back at him. “It’s a bit shorter, though.”

He actually moved closer to her, placing a hand on her hip. “I think I like it better.”

“Why’s that?”

Ripley stared into her eyes as his hand slid down to her bare thigh before moving back up. The towel bunched up above his hand. “There isn’t as much to take off of you.”

“Were you not just angry enough to walk out, like, two seconds ago?” Vic pointed out.

“I changed my mind.” His lips captured hers. The towel fell to the ground. Vic resisted only a fraction of a second before remembering just how good sex with Ripley could be. They could argue about people knowing about them later. Much, much later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I probably should not have written this particular chapter right after watching 2.09. Sorry that he's such an ass.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit more angst for you to enjoy.

Lucas decided to avoid 19 for the next few shifts. He needed to clear his head, make some decisions. The most important was to figure out what he wanted with Victoria. He enjoyed being with her – and not just the sex. That was amazing. But he also loved to watch her. He loved talking with her, especially when he made her mad enough to yell at him. There was no doubt that she attracted him, intrigued him.

He needed to consider their careers, though. She was junior level, not even eligible for promotion yet. Would she ever be able to once the department found out about them? He could get suspended, or even fired for having a relationship with a subordinate. But then, the damage had already been done. That happened the night they spent in the cabin. So, that wasn’t a reason to stop whatever was happening between them.

What other reasons could there be? He liked her. A lot. Her looks, her personality. The way she always seemed nervous and rambled when he was around. Her passion and dedication for the job. Okay, so maybe there wasn’t much he didn’t like about her. And maybe that was his answer to everything. He liked her. He wanted to be with her. So why not?

He grabbed his phone and pulled up her contact. He started to send her a text, but then he remembered she was on shift. Challenging fate twice was not a smart idea. He hesitated. Surely a phone call wouldn’t be suspicious. He could leave her a message to meet him after her shift ended. Nobody listened to other people’s voicemail. He hoped.

He pressed call before he chickened out. It rang several times. He was preparing what to say in the message when she actually answered. Everything he planned to say flew out of his mind. He stuttered out, “Uh, hi. I didn’t expect you to be able to answer.”

“I’m at the station, getting ready to settle in for the night,” she told him.

Lucas smiled at that image. “I hope you can get some rest tonight. Not too many calls.”

“Why? So I’ll have plenty of energy tomorrow when you show up?”

“That is part of it,” he admitted. “I also just want you to have a good night.”

She hesitated. Lucas could hear her breathing, but she didn’t say anything for several minutes. When she finally did, her voice was weary. “Why did you call? You know I’m working.”

Right. He needed to keep this conversation short so they could have a longer one later. “I was thinking I could bring breakfast over in the morning. Anything you like.”

“Why?”

“Because we both need to eat, and we’ve already agreed that I’ll be there anyway,” he pointed out.

She laughed at that. “Fine. Bring breakfast. I’m not picky.”

“Okay then. I’ll bring breakfast,” he repeated. “I’ll let you go. See you in the morning.”

They hung up, and Lucas stared at the papers scattered all over his desk. He’d tried to get some extra work done since he had no plans that evening. But his mind kept straying. All he seemed able to think about was Victoria and how much she meant to him already. He hoped their conversation the next morning would go well. That she felt the same. If not, he really had no clue how he would be able to walk away from her.

He finally decided to just put everything up and go home. It took him a while to get all of the paperwork sorted back out and put away. He had to mentally chastise himself for that. He’d never been so disorganized before. Especially not with work. But then, he’d never been distracted by a woman like he was with Victoria. Not even his first two wives distracted him from the job. And what, exactly, did that mean?

Lucas went to a bar instead of going home. He didn’t plan it but ended up at the same one he’d found Victoria in. When she confided in him about Montgomery. When he took her home because she was too drunk to get there herself. The first night of many he went to her apartment. He downed his beer and motioned for another.

When his alarm went off the next morning, Lucas groaned and rolled over. His head throbbed. It had been a while since he let himself drink enough to have a hangover. But then he remembered why he’d set his alarm that morning. He forced himself to stumble to the bathroom for a shower. He probably shouldn’t show up to Victoria’s place obviously hung over. Especially if he wanted to have the conversation he planned.

Once he felt human again, Lucas rushed to get ready and called for a ride to his truck. Thankfully he remembered where he parked it the night before. Just as he climbed inside, his phone went off. It was a text from Victoria. “Are you still bringing breakfast?”

He noticed the time and sent back, “Yes, sorry. Getting it now.”

Another message came through, but he didn’t take the time to read it. He was already over half an hour late. So he went through a drive-through and picked up some breakfast before trying not to speed to her apartment. He knocked and was slightly surprised he had to wait for her to open the door. When she did, she took the bag from him and walked away. He shut the door and followed her to the kitchen.

“Sorry I’m late,” he offered as he watched her take everything out of the bag.

She glanced at him and continued unpacking the food. “You’re forgiven. You must have had a rough night. Did you get called in?”

He shook his head. Slowly. “No. Why?”

“Because you look like hell.”

“Thanks,” he laughed out. “No, I just had a long night. Couldn’t sleep again.”

Victoria handed him one of the breakfast burritos and a cup of coffee. “Nightmares again?”

He sipped the coffee. Then he said quietly, “Not this time.”

Through a mouthful of food, she asked, “What was it this time?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“You,” he repeated. He set down his breakfast and stared at her. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.”

She swallowed some coffee and mumbled, “That sounds scary.”

Lucas shifted. He paused to gather his thoughts before telling her, “I don’t think I can walk away.”

“What?”

He reached for her hand, circling it in his. “I keep telling myself that if you ever decide you don’t want this,” he motioned between them with his other hand, “that I would just walk away without a fight. But I can’t do that. Not anymore.”

She gently pulled her hand from his and curled both of hers around her mug. “So, what are you saying?”

“That you’ve come to mean a lot to me. I enjoy spending time with you, talking to you. Sharing a meal with you. I especially enjoy the time we spend in your bed,” he ended with a smirk. Then he went serious again and added, “I don’t think I can give all of that up if you don’t want it, too.”

A tense silence settled around them. Victoria pushed away her half-eaten breakfast. Lucas held his breath. The longer he waited, the more his hope diminished. He slid his unopened burrito over the counter toward her. Then he carried his mug to the sink, setting it inside. He gave her a long look, taking in everything that he still could. Everything he would miss.

This was why he’d held back for so long. Why he’d denied his attraction, his growing feelings. He was her boss, and now he would have to treat her like every other firefighter in Seattle while knowing what she was like off duty. The way she was grumpy if she didn’t get enough sleep. Her addiction to food, especially any kind of burritos. The way she looked right after sex, when she was satiated and happy. When he made her happy.

She still hadn’t said anything, so Lucas figured that was his answer. Sighing, he moved toward the door. He would send her a message later laying out their futures with the department. After he distracted himself enough to allow his brain to function without thinking about her again. If that was even possible any more. Damn, why did he let himself get into this mess?

His hand was on the doorknob when Victoria finally found her voice enough to call out, “Wait!”

Lucas stopped but didn’t turn around. He didn’t think he could look at her while she told him that she, in fact, did not want to continue seeing him. But he needed to at least let her say what she needed to say. He owed her that much. So, again, he waited for her to fill the silence.

When she spoke again, he realized she had moved closer. Her voice came from almost directly behind him. “Don’t leave. Please.”

He closed his eyes. This was an impossible situation that he never should have let them get into. Opening his eyes once more, he turned to face her. “I’m sorry. You don’t need to say anything. Or worry about anything. I’ll make it work.”

He turned away and grabbed the doorknob, rotating it this time. A hand grabbed his arm, spinning him around. Victoria stood inches from him, her eyes glaring daggers. “Don’t you think I should have a say in this?”

“Your silence said plenty.”

“Forgive me if I needed to comprehend what you just told me,” she stated. She jabbed a finger into his chest hard enough it actually hurt. “It’s not every day that my boss basically tells me that he’s in love with me and that he won’t let me go without a fight. Or is that not what you meant?”

Lucas stared at her while he replayed everything he’d said. He didn’t actually use the word, but yeah, he had fallen in love with her. “I tried not to let it happen. It’s my problem. I promise not to let it affect you or your career.”

“You honestly think I’m worried about my job right now?” she asked.

“Isn’t that all there is? For you, I mean.”

Victoria let out a short laugh. She tilted her head back and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. When she looked at him again, her eyes held fire in them. “Right now, right here, in this apartment? We are not Chief Ripley and Hughes. We are Lucas and Vic. Two people trying to figure out where their relationship is going. And if you would just stop for a minute and let me tell you how I feel, it would go a lot easier.”

He gestured toward her with a hand and replied, “Go ahead, then. Tell me how you feel.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, right now I’m annoyed. You ruined my breakfast with all of this touchy-feely talk. And I’m pissed. I’m pissed that you tried to leave without giving me a chance even though you literally just said you don’t want to walk away.”

“In my defense, you didn’t day anything for a really long time. What was I supposed to think?” he pointed out.

“That I was processing, “ she replied. “I haven’t been sitting around thinking about whether or not I should continue whatever this is between us.”

“You haven’t?”

“Okay, maybe a little,” she admitted. “But in my experience good things always come to an end. I try not to dwell on the fact that I will probably have to give up my job and my family at the station once this is all over.”

Lucas shook his head and told her, “I will never make you do that. Not because of me.”

She wiped at her cheek. “You can’t promise that.”

“Yes, I can.”

“Yeah, and you’re so good at keeping your promises,” she said with a laugh, again wiping at her watery eyes.

Lucas refrained from pulling her into his arms. Instead, he just responded, “I keep the promises I mean.”

She stared at him. “So, you didn’t mean the promise you made in the cabin?”

He felt his face warm. Maybe he shouldn’t have said that. But he did, so he told her, “So maybe I wasn’t completely innocent that night.”

“You mean you did plan it?” she asked, stepping back.

Lucas grasped her arms and pulled her back. “No, I did not plan it. But I will admit your fashionable dress turned me on.”

“Obviously.”

He laughed. “I’m glad it was you that I got stuck in that cabin with.”

Victoria smiled. “I’m glad it was, too.”

“So, does this mean I don’t have to try to walk away?”

She put her hands against his chest and responded, “You’re not walking away anytime soon.”

“Good. Because I really didn’t know how I was going to do that,” he told her. Then he kissed her. He didn’t hold anything back. And, surprisingly, neither did she. It was full of passion, and promises, and yes, love. What it led to was the best sex they’d had yet. And Lucas had never been happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This could technically be the end, but I don't feel like Vic is finished. So one more chapter to go.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I discovered with this chapter that I suck at writing "fix it" stories or ones that follow along an episode. This chapter was hard. I did change a few scenes, especially since Maya knows about Vicley instead of Jack. If I made any mistakes with the scenes or the borrowed dialogue, feel free to let me know.

Not telling her friends about her relationship was the hardest thing Vic had ever done. And then Ben decided to have Friendsgiving. Vic wanted to spend time with everyone. It had been a while since they all got together outside the station. She just hoped nobody mentioned the Chief. At all. Especially around Maya. Who continually bugged her about him. And teased her about him. It was really annoying.

Of course the first thing anyone said to Vic was Dean asking if she was bringing anyone. She checked to see if Maya was there yet as she sputtered out an answer. Thankfully Maya was talking to Jack and didn’t seem to hear the question. Until Vic leaned against the counter next to her and Maya asked, “So you have no one to bring to Friendsgiving, huh?”

“Oh, shut up!” Vic hissed and looked around. Everybody was busy with their own conversations. She leaned toward Maya and whispered, “This is the last place I’d bring him. Plus he has to work. You know, with the storm and all.”

Maya grinned. “Why wouldn’t he want to be here? With your entire team around. Watching you. Judging you. Finding out that you’re sleeping with the-"

“Stop it before someone hears you!” Vic cut her off. “Besides, we wouldn’t have made it here if he didn’t have to go to work.”

She popped a veggie into her mouth while Maya laughed. Then Andy showed up rambling about needing to chop something. Vic thought she was in the clear until Andy mentioned having coffee with Sullivan. Maya jumped on that. She was way too interested in that. Knowing exactly where Maya was going with her prodding, Vic reminded her, “People have lives outside the station. She wasn’t breaking any laws.”

The look Maya sent her was one of amazement mixed with amusement. Vic personally thought Andy’s morning coffee date with their captain was interesting. Especially since it gave their friend someone else to badger for a while. And then said captain called them all into work, so Friendsgiving had to be postponed. Vic knew being called in when not on shift meant the storm was getting bad. She kind of hoped it would keep them busy enough Maya wouldn’t have time to focus on anyone’s life outside the station.

She didn’t get her wish. They were just getting into the bay and listening for Sullivan’s instructions when none other than Chief Ripley walked in and took over. Vic exchanged a glance with Maya, who really looked like she wanted to say something. She got her chance once Ripley was done talking by asking him, “Are you with us all day, Sir?”

“For the time being, yes,” he replied. Then he looked at Vic as he added, “I’m checking in on all high call areas today.”

Vic knew that was an excuse. He was checking on her. He was probably worried about her going out into the storm. And of course Maya picked up on it. Vic was preparing for the teasing when a call came in for aid car. A memory flashed in her mind of another aid car call during a different storm. Though that storm had torrential rain instead of powerful winds. And only three of them had been at the station then compared to the whole team. 

She very much did not sag with relief when Ripley named Maya to go on the call with Jack. It meant she didn’t have to and that Maya couldn’t tease her for a while. But then Andy had to be a good friend and take her place so Maya could prove herself to the Chief. Belatedly finding out that meant she had to ride with Sullivan. Vic shared a look with Maya as the aid car pulled out. Maya glanced around before whispering, “Do you think they’ll have the same experience you did?”

“For everyone’s sake, I hope not,” Vic whispered back.

“Oh, come on. Something good came from yours.”

Vic checked their surroundings again. “Yeah, something that I have to keep under wraps.”

“At least you have me to talk to about it,” Maya pointed out.

“More like be tortured over it,” Vic mumbled.

“It’s my job,” Maya told her. Vic agreed. So she spent the morning preparing for the storm and avoiding both Maya and Ripley. Since their talk about where their relationship was headed, since he quite literally admitted he’s in love with her, Vic was finding it harder and harder to keep them a secret from her team. Andy seemed to be dealing with her own issues – and apparently having coffee with their captain. Travis was pretty wrapped up in Grant lately. So that helped. But still, with Ripley being there through the storm and Maya’s constant teasing, someone was going to notice something.

She was doing good until Ripley caught her in the turnout room stocking halogens. Alone. Vic checked the open door to make sure no one was around. Then she inquired, “So, you’re hanging out with us today? Just to check in?”

“Like I said, I’m checking all high call stations. Nineteen is just so central. With the storm…” he trailed off.

Vic glanced toward the door again before replying, “Of course. It would be terrible if you chose 19 just to see me.”

He moved closer. “It’s not that I don’t want to see you. It’s just – we’re at work.”

“I get it. We’re at work. Let’s just be…professional,” she responded. Then she took a chance and added, “How, exactly, are we supposed to be professional when all I can think about is going back to my place with you?”

He started to respond, but suddenly Jack appeared asking about the halogens. Vic froze. She avoided meeting either man's eyes while trying to get herself back under control. It helped when Ripley made a hasty exit, leaving Vic alone to handle the awkward moment with Jack. Who was acting really strange. Agitated. Something was definitely going on with him lately.

She was talking to Ben about Jack’s behavior when the alarm sounded. Jack appeared, telling Ben to ride on the other truck and that he was staying behind. Vic had another flashback to the last time Jack was asked to stay behind on a call. During the storm over the summer. When she was the only other person available to go on the call with Ripley.

And yet again, Vic found herself going on a call while riding in a vehicle with Ripley. The only differences were that they weren’t in the aid car and Maya was driving. Vic didn’t know if her day could get any worse. Then Ripley motioned them both off their headsets. He turned in his seat and said, “Just so we’re clear, we all need to be focused today. This storm is dangerous. Bishop, I know you know what’s going on with us. Ignore that fact for the day.”

“Yes, Sir,” Maya responded.

Ripley added, “I am telling you both right now that my personal life will not have an effect on my professional opinion. Bishop, I want you to show me why you deserve to be promoted to lieutenant.”

“Will do, Sir,” Maya replied.

“Good,” Ripley said. Then he yelled, “Hey, watch out! Tree down up ahead.”

They all switched back on their headsets just as the other truck slammed on its brakes. Maya did, too, while muttering, “Oh, no.”

Ripley went into command mode as soon as they exited the truck and saw an entire tree blocking the road. Vic wondered briefly why he offered to stay back and deal with the tree when he was supposed to be observing Maya in action. But then she realized he was letting Maya run a team at the scene of the call. A team that very clearly did not include Vic. So much for the three of them keeping everything professional.

Thanks to Maya’s choice in team, Vic found herself alone with Ripley. Both of them holding a chainsaw and preparing to cut up a tree. And damn if that didn’t turn her on a little. She needed a distraction. Fast. She held up her saw and said, “So let’s do this.”

They worked endlessly to get the tree out of the road. Of course, Vic had to keep sneaking looks at her hot boyfriend. Man did he look good using that chainsaw. She had to repeatedly remind herself that they were working just so she didn’t jump him. And she wasn’t sure that he wasn’t doing the same thing. She caught him eyeing her a few times.

Just as they carried the last of the tree out of the way, Maya came running up, shouting, “We need tanks! The house just caught on fire with people inside!”

“The trucks are moveable,” Ripley told her. “Let’s get going.”

They hopped in and drove the rest of the way to the location. Vic and Maya immediately grabbed a hose. Without even waiting for instructions, they headed into the house to get Ben. They found him and a woman in an upstairs bedroom. Vic handed over her mask so he could get some oxygen. He sucked in a few good lungfulls before giving it back.

“Grab her head,” Maya ordered. Vic gestured for Ben to lead the way out and helped Maya carry the victim. It was slow and treacherous. The fire was spreading quickly. But finally they made it to the door and outside. They carried her to where the others waited, leaving her with Ben and Travis. Then Vic, Maya, and Dean went back to get the fire out.

Once the fire was out and everyone was safe, they headed back to the station to wait out the storm. Ripley had shut down the department until the storm was over. Vic knew he did it to keep his firefighters safe. But she wondered as they climbed back into the truck if he realized that meant they would be in the same building with little to do. She was almost past the point of caring that her teammates would be there, too.

She completely gave up when she found him in the turnout room. Alone. She set her things down and commented, “Well, I’m not going to lie. You looked pretty good wielding a chainsaw around.”

“So did you,” he replied sheepishly.

Vic ran her gaze over him and made a decision. She really did not care that her team was spread throughout the building. They had some time. And he was clearly just as turned on as she was. She was done fighting it. She craved him. Needed him. Loved him. And she didn’t care who knew. She looked into his eyes and asked, “Want to lock the door?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. It's finished. Sorry it took me so long to write. Thank you, @madnephelite for the prompt, and to everyone who read, commented on, or helped when I got stuck. Now, on to the next project (whatever that may be).


End file.
